Is Getting Drunk a Sin?

It sounds harsh but, I think even the most objectively unbiased perspective would agree with me in saying that it’s questionable whether or not the fundamentalist would approve of Jesus’ drinking behaviors… While, I’m not going to answer this specific question in regard to what wine Jesus drank my point in posing the question was simply to remind us that Jesus did in fact drink… A quote from an article over on Pete Enns blog, where you can find out from an actual wine connoisseur what wine Jesus most likely drank, reminds us of how important wine was before, after and during the time of Christ:

“Mostly everybody in the Bible seemed to love wine except ascetics and Nazarites. The Bible portrays Noah as the first winemaker who not only made wine but drunk it until he was inebriated. The Bible portrayed Solomon and Lady Wisdom as championing wisdom in part by choosing and mixing wines.  Isaiah the Prophet and his disciples who add to his words repeatedly use imagery of wine.  Jesus seems to have loved wine and had a reputation for drinking wine.  The Synoptic Gospels repeat, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a wino, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”[1]

I think many would be right in being weary about anyone using scriptures listed above as a means of justifying drunkenness and pure debauchery… but, I don’t think any sane person would do that here…

Of course, moderation is essential for a life well lived but, what is moderation and is it going to be the same thing for each person?

A Non-Judgemental Form of Grace…

We, as the modern day western Church, have seemed to unhealthily perpetuate a falsified form of morality that when we are then confronted with alcohol, sex or drugs we don’t know how to approach it in moderation…

Encouragingly though, where I’ve seen more and more Christian circles begin to lean towards has been on this topic of grace. And, I’m definitely not talking about that passive-aggressive “I’m praying for you (but, really just judging and gossiping about you)” form of “grace”.  I’m talking about the kind of grace that works within you and spurs you on to look inward as opposed to judging outward.

Is not the Bible more than just a definitive set of rules and laws in which God demands…? Is it even that at all…?

Because you see, when approached as such, we tend to miss the point.

And, suffice to say, it wasn’t until recently that we began to see drinking as we do today: “culturally sinful”.

We’ve so far stigmatized these things that we’ve begun to have trouble in differentiating between the things we’ve attached stigmas to and the people who might be imbibing these “sins’ we’ve stigmatized.

The Pharisees were wanting us to check off a list of do’s and don’ts in which supposedly determined how much God loved us or didn’t… we clearly see in Luke 11:42 and Matthew 23:23 Jesus condemning the imposition of such stringent practices.

This is not to say that God does not desire obedience; I believe He does… a form of obedience that arises from a loving heart that wants to incarnate the Life of Christ’s (1 Peter 1:15).

Without going too far into the problem of defining “sin”, I think it’s better for us to just reword this question and ask ourselves, “Is this sin for me?”

Is this what “being holy” is for your individual life and circumstances?

Because, after all, “JESUS NEVER SAID, ‘LOVE THE SINNER, BUT HATE THEIR SIN.’ RATHER JESUS SAYS, ‘LOVE THE SINNER, AND WORRY ABOUT OUR OWN SIN.’”

[1] What Wine Would Jesus Drink? (a new book tells you)

[2] “Pastors or Elders Drink Leftover Wine” by Pastor Moldenhauer